Chronic Inflammation Overview

Inflammation lasting weeks to years, where inflammation, tissue damage, and healing happen at the same time, potentially leading to cancer.

Include failures of the immune system, infections with resistant organisms (like TB), prolonged exposure to harmful things (like asbestos), atherosclerosis, or autoimmune diseases

Immune cells like macrophages and lymphocytes that are central to chronic inflammation that amplify the process.

Damage to tissue caused by the ongoing irritant or harmful immune cells involved in chronic inflammation.

Attempts to repair the damaged tissues, through blood vessel growth and scar tissue formation.

A possible cause of chronic inflammation, where the immune system cannot effectively control initial inflammation.

Microorganisms that are hard to kill, such as TB bacteria; they can cause persistent inflammation.

Lengthy contact with harmful substances that can cause chronic inflammation.

Signaling molecules that prolong inflammation and trigger other immune responses.

A chronic inflammation characterized by the formation of granulomas, clusters of immune cells.

The cause of a granuloma, e.g., foreign body, infection, or unknown.

Granulomas caused by foreign material, e.g., asbestos or surgical suture.

Granulomas caused by infections, like TB or fungi.

Dominant cells in chronic inflammation, engulfing debris and pathogens.

Fused macrophages, often found in granulomas.

Granuloma with central cell death (necrosis).

Granuloma without central cell death (necrosis).

A long-lasting inflammatory response, lacking the cardinal signs (redness, swelling, heat, pain) of acute inflammation.

Acute inflammation is a short-term response; chronic is a long-term one, characterized by different cellular/tissue reactions.

Classic symptoms of acute inflammation (redness, heat, swelling, pain, loss of function).

A type of chronic inflammation where different irritants produce similar microscopic patterns.

A type of chronic inflammation often showing granulomas and specific microscopic features based on the cause.

A circumscribed collection of activated macrophages, often multinucleated giant cells, and sometimes lymphocytes.

Macrophages that have adapted to the chronic inflammatory environment.

Cells with multiple nuclei, formed by the fusion of macrophages.

Chronic inflammation can damage tissues.

The replacement of damaged tissue with scar tissue.